GMDC and some of the world’s biggest brands provide actionable insights into the latest trends and tools transforming the retail landscape

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Leading retail industry trade association Global Market Development Center (GMDC) today announced its growth plans for Retail Tomorrow, focused on supporting the vital need to transform the shopping experience in the evolving retail industry landscape. Retail Tomorrow has developed new offerings to keep the retail industry relevant as it evolves by launching Retail Headquarter Innovation Events, a monthly podcast series, and hosting City Immersions in Los Angeles and Boston.

Launched in 2016, Retail Tomorrow is an industry initiative created by GMDC that connects a community of innovators to retailers, suppliers, service companies and thought leaders in order to foster uncommon partnerships focused on improving the shopper experience worldwide.

Underpinning Retail Tomorrow are its partners Microsoft, Intel, Google, Energizer, Unilever, Advantage Solutions and most recently, the Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART). The authority on retail technology, CART connects the industry to innovation using its unparalleled insight into what’s next in retail. In coordination with CART, Retail Tomorrow will provide in-house immersion events within retailer and supplier headquarters, to connect their executives with curated technology solutions that address their unique marketplace challenges.

“Innovation is instrumental and our partnership with Retail Tomorrow aligns perfectly with how we envision the future of retail,” said CART Co-Founder Sterling Hawkins. “We’re uniquely positioned to merge our efforts of advancing technology into retail and testing what those technologies could look like in the stores of the future.”

Central to Retail Tomorrow’s mission are City Immersion events, which bring together a diverse assortment of industry insiders in different North American cities known as hubs for technology, innovation and education so they can see first-hand what’s next in retail. Each immersion event is structured around a series of tours of facilities managed by some of the world’s biggest brands as well as sessions where thought leaders present the latest research-based insights that pinpoint how future shoppers will engage with stores and their products and services.

The first 2019 immersion event will take place in Los Angelesfrom March 19-22 and will focus on influencer marketing and storytelling in retail, and their impact on retailers and brands. The second will take place in Bostonfrom July 16-19 and will focus on leadership and the retail selfcare evolution with visits to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other local educational institutions.

“Retailers and brands must adapt to the consumer’s changing needs, and Retail Tomorrow advances those efforts by bringing together industry experts and disruptors,” said Trey Holder, executive director of innovation for Retail Tomorrow. “We’re proud of the industry’s strong interest in aligning with Retail Tomorrow. Being approached by industry leaders to develop partnerships, lead events and drive content demonstrates Retail Tomorrow’s relevance and importance as the retail landscape continues to shift.”

“Todays shoppers expect their experiences to be catered to their needs, and every player in the retail industry must learn to adapt quickly to this changing dynamic to stay competitive,” Holder continued. “Retail Tomorrow expedites these efforts by bringing together industry experts and entrepreneurs to share innovative ideas and learn from disruptive companies. We’re excited about the industry’s strong interest in aligning with us via events, partnerships and more using Retail Tomorrow’s unique ecosystem.”

As part of its efforts to ensure the latest insights are accessible to its members, GMDC has also launched its new “Retail Tomorrow” podcast series hosted by Kevin Coupe of MorningNewsBeat. The podcast series, now available on the Retail Tomorrow RSS feed, Google Play and the App Store,features provocative and insightful conversations with industry experts and covers major industry events and disruptive developments.

“Our goal in creating the podcast series is to provide a platform where our members can discover new products, services and technologies that they can use in their day-to-day activities,” said Patrick Spear, president & CEO of GMDC. “This is about making the latest information more readily available, sharing timely insights, and providing our members with a clearer vision of the future of retail.”

Retail Tomorrow is a GMDC industry initiative that organizes a community of innovators to promote uncommon collaboration between retailers, brands, technology leaders, and universities. This unique ecosystem provides executives with the opportunity to connect to innovation, identify emerging technologies, share insights, and discover next-practices focused on enhancing the shopper experience.

About GMDC

Global Market Development Center (GMDC) energizes members and the marketplace by advancing a culture of Connect-Collaborate-Create-Commerce. As the leading General Merchandise and Health Beauty Wellness trade association, GMDC is dedicated to serving its ecosystem of more than 600 GM and HBW retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and service/solution member companies by enabling consumer-facing innovation and retail reimagined. GMDC’s combined member volume represents more than 125,000 retail outlets and more than $500 billion in sales. To learn more, visit gmdc.org.

About CART

CART is Advancing Retail by connecting the industry to innovation. Retailers, wholesalers and brands utilize CART to find, research and connect with solutions appropriate for their businesses. Solution providers use CART as a go-to-market tool that connects them directly to their target retail audience, all the way into the brick and mortar store itself. CART has unparalleled insight into what’s next in retail and shares this information regularly through multiple channels.